Against All Odds
by Claire6
Summary: Sydney. Vaughn. A plane crash. Uh oh.
1. Default Chapter

Against All Odds

Disclaimer:Everything Alias belongs to the god that is JJ Abrams. I'm just a poor student who's still sobbing her heart out over the fact that Michael Vartan is not hers.

Rating:PG-13

Spoilers:Phase One

Timeline:AU. A few months after Phase One

A/N:Any sentences in stars indicate someone's thoughts. 

Sydney stared angrily out of the aeroplane window trying to suppress her temper at the recent events. She was mad. No scratch that she was more than mad; she was furious. They had lost Sloane…again, and it annoyed her to no end that even after their mission they were still no closer to discovering what he was up to.

To make matters worse and raise her anger up a notch was the fact that it looked like they had been so close. Judging by the state of the warehouse, they must have missed Sloane by only a few minutes.

Unfortunately his team had still been careful and not left a trace of evidence as to what they had been planning or where they had disappeared to. When it came down to it the supposedly vital mission had been a complete and utter failure. Which is why they were now on their way back to L.A and Sydney was gripping her armrest so tightly she was surprised in didn't buckle under the pressure. 

Was this ever going to end? After SD-6 was finally destroyed Sydney had thought that was it. Her double life was over and she could finally get something she craved so desperately; normalcy. For the briefest of moments she had actually dared to believe she had succeeded. Then she had discovered that Sloane had disappeared taking with him her only chance for a normal life.

After working endlessly to rid the world of SD-6 it seemed to her now that the vicious cycle was starting all over again with the hunt for Sloane. Newly received Intel had led the CIA to believe that a large part of Sloanes's operations was being carried out of a warehouse facility on the west coast of Canada. But no. They had been too late. Once again success had been cruelly ripped out of her clutches. Sloane was still on the run and her life was still as complicated as ever………almost.

Taking a side-glance at the sleeping man next to her, Sydney couldn't help the goofy grin that appeared on her face as she took in the sight of him. He looked so adorable even when he was asleep and her temper dissipated immediately on sight. A lock of hair had fallen across his forehead and she lightly brushed it aside marvelling at the fact that this wonderful man next to her was hers. 

At least the end of SD-6 had brought a finish to one thing in her life. Now she no longer had to pretend that the sight of Michael Vaughn didn't make her want to jump him at every available (and not so available) opportunity. 

She watched him shift slightly and saw a small smile creep on his face. God why did he have to smile? That was it now. How was she supposed to contain herself when he was looking like that? She was good not God. Even with all that had been happening, just looking at him made her want him. 

Taking a glance around the neighbouring seats she saw that there were only two other agents on board…and a very cosy bathroom. Smiling happily to herself she realised that maybe they could continue what they had started on the way home from Paris before they had been rudely interrupted………oh the possibilities!

Leaning over the armrest Sydney gently caressed Vaughn's cheek before purring "Michael" softly into his ear.

"Mmm." He replied, automatically turning his head toward her and rubbing it against the palm of her hand.

"You know what I just realised?"

"What?"

"We never did get around to finishing our application for that club." She said softly, emphasising the word club.

"What club?" He asked puzzled, fully waking up and rubbing his eyes. Had he missed something? Were they planning on joining a club? He mentally ran through all the possibilities; golf, gym, tennis, nothing rang a bell.

Sydney sighed at his obvious confusion. *Get the hint Vaughn.* "The club." She repeated, raising her eyebrow and nodding in the direction of the bathroom.

"Ah." He replied, finally catching on. "But I thought after Paris our application would be pre-approved." He teased.

"Well we want to ensure it's processed correctly." She replied matter of factly, keeping up the banter.

"Of course." Raising the armrest Vaughn shifted closer to her. "You do realise though that we'll have to go through it very slowly…" He lowered his head down to kiss her. "…And in great detail. We want to make sure we don't miss anything." 

As he gently placed kisses along her jawbone and throat, Sydney moaned softly, quickly forgetting all about the plan and everything else that was happening except for the fact that Vaughn was kissing her and making her feel like it was they themselves that were flying. 

Unbuckling his seatbelt Vaughn got ready to stand up when the plane suddenly shook violently before veering sharply to the right.

"What the hell?!" 

Both agents were flung back hard into their seats by the force of the dramatic course change and struggled to right themselves. Gripping Vaughn's hand tightly Sydney glanced out the window and saw that they were losing altitude quickly. *Oh my God.* 

She was about to get up and speak to the pilot when his anxious voice came over the plane's PA system.

"All passengers fasten your seatbelts. Both engines have failed and we gonna have to make an emergency landing."

Shooting a nervous glance at Vaughn Sydney squeezed his hand before bending down and placing her hands over her head. The plane rocked from side to side and she closed her eyes and whispered a prayer as she felt the plane hit the trees and then her world come crashing down. 


	2. Chapter 2

A big thanks to everyone who reviewed!! It's really appreciated.

Against All Odds

Part 2

The first thing to hit Sydney as she came to was the overwhelming smell of smoke and burning plastic that lingered in the air all around her. It clogged her lungs and brought on a severe bout of coughing that did nothing to aid the hammer-on-concrete type feeling that was occurring in her skull right at this very minute.

Forcing open heavy eyelids and fighting through the thick haze in her head it took a minute or two for the recent events to come flooding back to her. As she shook her head in a pitiful attempt to get rid of her dizziness Sydney slowly raised her hand to touch her forehead and was dismayed for it to return bloodied.

Carefully peering through the neighbouring cracked window she saw that they had landed in what appeared to be an area of dense woodland. There was nothing but trees visible for all the eye to see and it was obvious that it didn't bode well for any rescue or escape plans. 

Using the sunlight that poured through the window Sydney was able to take in her surroundings and get her bearings but as she turned her to her right she was horrified to find the seat next to her was empty. _Vaughn? Oh dear God where was he?_ She struggled hard against her seat and it took her a moment to realise she was still strapped in. Grabbing the belt hard she pulled at it hard in frustration until the clasp finally gave in. 

As she stumbled into what was once the aisle of the plane Sydney desperately searched in every direction for him, trying hard to ignore the fresh bouts of pain that erupted every time she coughed. Where the hell was he?

"Vaughn?" Was that her voice? Dear lord it sounded so unfamiliar to her. "……Can you hear me…… Michael?"

Perhaps he had gone to the cockpit to radio their position and get a rescue party organised. That's if the radio was even working. Judging by the state of the rest of the plane it was very doubtful to her. As she lifted a metal bar out of her way an overhead section gave way bringing down with a multitude of live electrical cables. Trying hard to ignore the sparks that seemed to be jumping straight toward her face she gingerly leaned back into a chair and carefully side-stepped the danger. 

It became apparent to Sydney as she stared at the tattered remains of the aisle in front of her that there wasn't a chance in hell that Vaughn had come this way. There were clearly just too many metal and plastic fragments for him to have got around without obviously clearing them.

She reached for support as she got to the battered remains of the first row of seats and quickly recoiled from the red moisture that appeared on her hands. She inhaled hard and all her previous thoughts went straight out the window as the emotional side of her took straight over her logical side as she tried to convince herself it wasn't Michael there. _It's not him……it's not him_. Keeping the mantra going in her head she slowly bent down and choked back a sob when she saw the two bodies of the agents who had been on the mission with her. She knew with certainty that they were dead and she had to fight to keep her emotions in check.

She had seen a lot of terrible things in her time and been on the receiving end of some of those atrocities as well but the fact that she knew these agents and had worked closely with them, knowing that they were good people……it was hard for her to maintain the emotional distance that she had been trained to do, that was expected of her. She softly whispered a small prayer for the two men as she shakily stood up and slowly made her way further to the front of the plane.

A few steps and a lot more debris later she arrived at the entrance to what was once the cockpit and the horrific sight before her dashed all her hopes that she would find anyone alive in the front compartment. She lowered her head and took a deep, reassuring breath before slowing turning around. _Michael. Where are on earth are you?_

Quickly pushing her way back through the debris Sydney was able to make a slow but steady path through the plane until she finally reached a hole in the plane's side that was large enough for her to crawl through. It was almost parallel to where they had been sitting and she prayed that it meant Vaughn had been thrown clear and that was the only reason why she couldn't find him. 

It hit her then like a blow to the stomach and she had to lean against the side of the plane for support as she contemplated what had to have happened. For Vaughn to have been thrown clear it meant that his seatbelt must not of been fastened. And as she replayed their last moments together she realised in horror that Vaughn had never fastened his seatbelt before the crash. He had been so intent ensuring that hers was secure and that she was ok he hadn't had time to fasten his own. Damn it! Why was he so selfless? Was there nothing this man wouldn't do for her? If anything had happened to him she didn't know how she would go on.

As she climbed through the hole she had to squint a little at the change in brightness and it took her a moment to get her bearings. Swiftly searching around the area she felt her heart stop when she saw him lying under what looked like what once part of the plane's wing. 

Time seemed to stand still for her as she raced over to him, begging every higher power that existed to spare his life.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sooooooo sorry for the delay in chapters but I had computer problems and lost all my hard drive so it took me a while to redo everything. Thank to everyone who reviewed, it really is appreciated.  
  
Take care,  
  
Claire  
Against All Odds  
Part 3  
Sydney tensed slightly as her arms adjusted to the weight of the sheet of metal that she was gripping tightly. Her knuckles were turning a harsh white against the pressure and she took a deep breath as she shifted her body slightly to get a firmer grip. Putting all her strength into the action she slowly raised the panel inch by agonising inch until it was high enough for her to flip it onto its other side. She then had the chance to finally get a close up look at Vaughn. He was lying on his side and for a moment the terrible thought that he was dead crossed her mind, he was that pale and still. But then she noticed the slight rise and fall of his chest and relief washed over her as she realised that he was indeed alive. Oh thank you thank you.........  
  
She quickly bent down and brushed a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear before rolling him gently onto his back. She glanced over him and winced slightly at the deep gash on his left arm that was bleeding profusely.  
  
"Michael can you hear me? Michael please wake up." Swallowing hard she tried to force back the tidal wave of tears that were threatening to fall and instead concentrated on finding a compress for the wound. She could run back to the wreckage and try and locate the first aid box but that would mean leaving him and as selfish as it sounded she didn't want to do that. Even thought it was only a few metres back to the plane she had the stupid notion that something could happen to him if she wasn't there to protect him.  
  
She leaned back putting all of her weight onto her knees and grabbed at her top, quickly lifting it up to expose the white tee shirt underneath. Without a further thought she ripped the bottom part off in one fluid motion and carefully placed it on the wound, tying a fairly tight knot in it. As the bright colour of the material quickly changed into a deep crimson Sydney bit her lip in concentration wondering helplessly if it would do anything to help at all.  
  
She glanced over the rest of him and couldn't see any other injuries but she knew she wouldn't be satisfied until Vaughn woke up and told her that himself. Actually she pondered that thought and realised she wouldn't be happy until a doctor told her that.  
Michael would probably keep any injuries to himself so as not to worry her. It was just one of the annoyingly sefless things he did.  
  
Leaning down carefully Sydney gently placed a kiss on Vaughn's forehead almost feeling like a child in wishing it would be the magic touch to wake him up.  
  
"Vaughn?" She whispered, stroking his cheek gently. "Baby can you hear me?"  
  
Upon getting no response Sydney leant down and kissed him tenderly on the lips forcing all of her love and emotion into the action before leaning her forehead against his.  
  
"Vaughn, please wake up. You can't leave me alone here."  
  
The scene seemed all too familiar to Sydney. Memories danced before her eyes as she replayed the interactions that occurred between the two of them on the plane what seemed like just a few short minutes ago. She couldn't lose him, she just couldn't. He was the reason she got up every morning, what drove her continuously. When he held her close in his arms she had the almost naïve feeling that she had been blessed with him to make up for all the unspeakable acts that had occurred in her life. She saw so much of the darkness in life that she needed his overwhelming strength and integrity to remind her that there was good in this world, and that God had graced the world and her with a single shining example before throwing away the mould. Fortunate was not the word. She could only beg God now not to want him back just yet.   
  
Feeling a sudden slight movement below her Sydney quickly raised her head and her gaze locked on the green eyes that she loved so much.   
  
"Hey." He murmured, squinting hard against the brightness. He tried to raise his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight that was sprinkling through the overhead trees but stopped when he felt an onset of pain from his arm.  
  
Seeing he was awake it was all Sydney could do not to break down and cry like a baby as she fought to contain the emotions that were flying through her. She mustered a weak smile before returning the familiar greeting.  
  
"Hey." She stroked his cheek and placed a scattering of light kisses over his face "God I'm so glad you're awake Vaughn. I thought I'd lost you there for a moment. How are you feeling?"  
  
She helped him raise himself gingerly into a sitting position and saw him wince slightly as he moved his arm.  
  
"Well my arm hurts, obviously, and my chest feels like it's been slammed with a sledgehammer a couple of times. Other than that, yeah I'm great." Giving her the once over he made sure that she was doing fine as well. "How are you doing?"  
  
"Now that you're awake? Great is not the word." She replied giving him a smile that spoke volumes about how she was feeling. She shifted slightly so that she was sitting next to him and as she moved the enormity of what they had survived hit Vaughn full force. He was able to get his first glance at what was left of the plane and the state of it shocked him that they had escaped virtually unscathed.   
  
Vaughn took a side glance at Sydney and saw that she too was having a hard time coming to terms with what had happened. The tension that was ebbing from her was almost visible so he took a moment before trying to lift her spirits.  
  
"Damn." He muttered.   
  
"What." Sydney asked, giving him a concerned look.  
  
"We are good. We didn't even get to the bathroom and we brought down the plane! Adams and Walker must be thrilled. Where are they?" He asked searching the clearing for the other two agents.  
  
"Vaughn......" Sydney started but couldn't carry on as her mind flashed back to the scene she had stumbled upon in the plane. A overwhelming part of her was filled with a deep feeling of grief and sadness for the other agents and pilot but there was a part of her that was so relieved that she was sitting there with the man she adored and they were both fine. She suffered such guilt at feeling that way but knew she had to tell Vaughn what she had seen.   
  
Vaughn could see the play of emotions that were fighting for control of Sydney and he grasped her hand in his and squeezed it gently to remind her he was there and that she had his strength to draw from. "What? Are they alright?"  
  
"Michael, I'm so sorry but they didn't make it."  
  
He stared at her hard trying to digest what she had just said. Surely she was mistaken, they couldn't have been the only ones to have survived. "What about the pilot?"  
  
She just shook her head.   
  
"Oh my God. So it's just the two of us?" 


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to everyone who reviewed!!  
  
Against All Odds  
  
Part 4  
  
Ok we are in serious trouble   
  
After a very intense scavenger hunt through the rear of the plane Sydney had been able to find only a scattering of supplies that they could use to help them survive the forest elements. As she stared at the small pile arranged in front of her she could only wonder how the hell they were going to make it out of there.  
  
Sensing Vaughn approach from behind she turned round and leaned into him for a reassuring hug before stepping back to see how he was doing.  
  
"Hey, how are you feeling now?"  
  
"Better thanks. My chest is still a bit tender but on the whole I feel a lot better than I did ten minutes ago." Glancing down at the pile in front of them he tried to see what Sydney was able to recover from the wreckage. "How's the communications situation? Did you locate a radio or cell phone?"  
  
"I struck out on both I'm afraid. The whole cockpit is a no-go area and my cell phone was smashed during the landing. There is no way we are going to be able to contact anyone from here." She bent down and removed a map she had found in one of the plane's compartments and shook it slightly to remove some of the dust.  
  
"I had a quick glance at this map earlier and noticed that there was a town located about two days walk from Sloane's former base." She pointed to the location on the map. "It wouldn't be any use going back to the warehouse as it was completely cleaned out. I think the best solution for us is to head for the town and then call base for assistance from there. The only problem is that I can't be certain of the distance between the town and our location; I can only make an assumption of about four days. Do you think you will be able to make it that far?" She asked giving him a concerned look. She didn't want to push him when he was obviously injured.  
  
"I think so." Vaughn frowned slightly and glanced at the wreckage. "But don't you think we should stay with the plane? I mean they must know by now that something has happened to us and surely they would send out rescue aircraft."  
  
"I thought about that but the plane is just too well concealed by the trees. I think it's very unlikely that rescue personnel would be able to find it. I don't think we should take that chance with the limited supplies we have at our disposal. There's also the possibility that Sloane is still in the vicinity and witnessed the plane go down. We have got no weapons to speak of and are not in the best of conditions for a confrontation. Depending on the size of his entourage I'm not sure we could take him on in this sort of environment."  
  
  
  
Glancing up at the canopy overhead Vaughn realised Sydney was right. Despite the fact he was putting on a brave face he didn't feel up to one-on-one combat with anyone right at this minute. Walking the short distance to the plane had taken a lot out of him, he only hoped he could keep up with Sydney once they started moving and not slow her down. He made a promise to himself that if he became a burden to her he would have to cut himself loose. He would not sacrifice her life for his.   
  
Returning his gaze to the pile at his feet he wondered if they had the necessary equipment to help them once they got going.   
  
  
  
"What did you find in the plane?"  
  
She sighed before responding. "Let's just say if you see any Mounties nearby, grab them."  
  
He frowned. "That bad hey?"  
  
"Well we've got a small supply of food rations, three bottles of water, a life raft, a torch, and a flare gun. Unfortunately there was no sign of a compass but I did locate the first aid kit." She waved the slightly dented tin in front of him triumphantly. "Now I can bandage your wound properly." She took a step forward and opened the box, taking out a large bandage. As she started wrapping it around his arm she paused to question the smile that was lighting up his face.  
  
"Ok out with it, what are you smiling at?"  
  
"I'm just imagining you as a nurse. I currently have a very nice mental image of you in the uniform and it's having an extremely positive affect on my pain levels."  
  
She shook her head and smiled shyly, absent-mindedly tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear before returning to tie the bandage. When it was secured tightly she kissed him gently on the lips and leaned in close to whisper in his ear.  
  
"When we get home I'll wear a nurse's uniform just for you to celebrate our safe return."  
  
Smiling at the look of happiness on his face Sydney bent down and added the first aid kit to the pile. Her gaze wandered again to the wreckage and the reality of the situation sombrely returned to her. She tried to force the pessimistic thoughts that were haunting her to the back of her mind. In front of Vaughn she was trying to play the role of the eternal optimist but the truth of the situation was that in their condition it could take longer than the four days she implied to get to the town, and their food supply might not last them that long.  
  
She was also worried about Vaughn's injuries. The temporary bandage she had removed had been soaked with blood, and his chest seemed to be causing him a large amount of discomfort. She knew that he would play down his injuries to her and she could only wonder just how serious his injuries were. The idea to stay with the plane did seem awfully tempting but what if no help came?   
  
Taking a second glance at the map in front of her Sydney sighed and tried again to gauge their location.  
  
"I wish I had found a compass." She moaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Remind me the next time we fly to pack an emergency kit in my hand luggage......oh and keep a compass on a chain round my neck! Tell me you went camping when you were a kid."  
  
"Uh yeah but my back garden looked pretty different to this." Vaughn replied pointing to their vast surroundings. He sighed and pulled her up into a standing position so he could place a trail of kisses along her neck.  
  
"I knew I should have paid more attention when we were watching Survivor the other week."   
  
Giving in to the feelings that always overwhelmed her whenever he was near, Sydney was just about to raise her head and return his kiss when he suddenly stopped what he was doing. She inched back a little further to reclaim his touch.  
  
"Actually that's a very good point. I think the finger of blame could quite easily be pointed at you." He said taking a step back and placing his hands on his hips.   
  
"What?" Sydney asked, a little disorientated.  
  
"I was very much engrossed in that programme, taking in all the finer points of survival tactics when a certain someone completely threw themselves upon me and distracted me from my intense study. Now instead of knowing the art of building a compass using only a twig we are condemned to the knowledge that we very well may never make it out of here alive. I hope you are happy." As he raised his arms and crossed them over his chest in dramatic gesture, Sydney struggled to contain the laughter that was building up inside of her. She could tell Michael was joking by the similar grin that was starting to appear on his face and decided to play along.  
  
"Well Vaughn I gotta say you were quite easy to distract. You put up no effort whatsoever leading me to believe that your focus was not fully on the programme anyway. So we could say this is actually your fault. If you had put up just the smallest amount of will power you would be leading us out of here as we speak. But since you aren't I will just have to take the lead and use other means to get us out of here."   
  
Sydney glanced up into the sky and turned herself around to face the gaze of the sun. As she raised her left arm she lifted back the sleeve of her top in one fluid motion and pointed the twelve figure on her watch to the sun. She gave a little murmur of satisfaction before returning to face Vaughn.   
  
"According to the map the town we are heading for is north from here. Using my trusted watch as a compass I have deduced that North is that way." She gestured to the right to show Vaughn. "Oh and honey, I have decided to forgive you and to show you that, I'll let you follow me." She gave him a wink before bending down to start packing the supplies into a rucksack.   
  
Vaughn paused for a moment taking what she said in. "Ok you're making that up right?"   
  
Sydney stayed quiet and busied herself with the packing.  
  
"Syd?"  
  
Raising her face to meet his gaze she stared back at him, her face a picture of innocence.  
  
"Michael?"  
  
"Ok, ok I concede." He held his hands up in surrender. He gave her a quick smile and bent down to help her pack, accidentally brushing his hand with hers. "How the hell did you know that?"   
  
"Simple." Sydney replied, trying to stay focused. "I was recording Survivor anyway. I just watched it later when you were asleep."   
  
At his confused look Sydney patted him on the cheek, broke into a wide grin, and said, shaking her head. "Michael, Michael, Michael......when will you learn? Men play the game, women know the score."   
  
After a beat Vaughn realised he had been played and vowed revenge against her.  
  
"You do realise that serious payback is going to be order, don't you?" He asked.  
  
Sydney smiled wickedly "I look forward to it." 


	5. Chapter 5

Against All Odds  
  
Part 5  
  
Using a neighbouring tree as a means of support, Vaughn took the opportunity to take a moment and try and slow his breathing down. The two agents had been walking now for almost three hours and whilst Sydney showed no sign of strain, the effort was beginning to clearly take its toll on Vaughn. The terrain they had covered had varied from flat ground to steep hills and he was not sure how much longer he could keep the pace up for.  
  
Sydney had paused up ahead to verify their position using the map and Vaughn had been grateful for the rest. Sweat was dripping down his forehead and he raised his good arm to wipe away the moisture from his face. His mouth was parched and he desperately wanted to ask Sydney for some of the bottled water that was secured in her backpack but he knew that they couldn't afford to spare it. He had already consumed one of their daily rations only a short while ago and it had had little effect on hydrating his throat.  
  
"Are we still on track Syd?" He called to her, wanting to know how much further they had to go today.  
  
"I think so. Judging by our proposed flight path we would have been south of Sloane's facilities so as long as we keep heading north we should be on target for the town......" Sydney dropped the map onto the ground and reached up her arms so she could stretch. "......and hopefully a hot shower too. Lord knows I could use one."   
  
She grinned affectionately at him but as she took the opportunity to take a glance and see how the hike had affected him the smile quickly turned into a concerned frown. She had noticed that his pace had been gradually slowing during the last hour and she had slowed up to match his speed. Looking at him now she realised that he wouldn't be able to carry on much further without a break and decided that they should make camp for the night.   
  
She took a glance around their surroundings and observed that the small clearing that they stood in didn't offer much in the way of shelter, but it if she was right about their position it was the best they were going to find in the area.   
  
"I think here would be the most suitable spot to rest for the night. If I'm right we are going to have fun tomorrow because after this lovely flat clearing the terrain will start to become mostly precipitous. Basically it's going to be a veritable minefield of obstacles that we are going to have to clamber over - just what we do all that CIA training for." Sydney dejectedly sat herself down on a fallen tree and stared hard at the ground. She could see that Vaughn was going to protest and quickly carried on speaking. They were in no fit state to attempt that terrain now, despite his objections.   
  
"It's getting dark too. If we use the torch anyone in a one mile vicinity will see us coming thanks to the wonder that is the incandescent beam. Usually that would be helpful to us if we knew that it would be the good guys that were looking for us, but knowing my luck Sloane would be the one that ends up "rescuing" us." She looked up at Vaughn and patted the empty space on the log next to her. "No I think all in all we should stay here tonight."  
  
"Are you sure because I can keep going, don't stop on my account." He tried to reinforce the point that he was perfectly fine both to her and himself. But as he eased himself down and fully allowed the pain from his arm and chest injuries to compete for his attention, he wondered if he would even be able to make it back up later.  
  
Whilst Vaughn was desperate for a break he knew that they had only been travelling for three hours. He dreaded to think about tomorrow and the full day's hike they would have.  
  
"No I think we should stop here. We will get going tomorrow at first light." Sydney sighed wearily and slipped the rucksack off her shoulders so she could lean into Vaughn for comfort.   
  
She only hoped that she was leading them in the right direction and not further into the wilderness. She had been making educated guesses during the day about the direction they were heading in and wished there had been more landmarks to help her other than trees. Yes she had her CIA training but she had been brought up in the jungles of Los Angeles, she was not overly familiar with forests of the green variety. Why hadn't she gone camping with Will all them times he had invited her?  
  
She was about to bend down and grab the water bottle from her rucksack when she noticed that Vaughn was smiling at her.  
  
"What?" She asked suspiciously, bolting up. "Do I have something on my face?" Sydney brushed her face and hair in a mad panic. "Tell me it's not a bug because I have been fighting them all afternoon. Ugh it is isn't it? That's why you have this huge grin on your face right now because you know I hate bugs."   
  
She hastily stood up and started doing a mad dance around the clearing attacking her head with her hands and it was all Vaughn could do not to laugh any harder.  
  
"Argggggggggh! Tell me it's off now......is it off yet? I can't see it......is it off?"  
  
Vaughn quickly leaned forward and gently grabbed her hands, pulling her towards him so she could sit in his lap.  
  
"Syd, stop panicking, there is no bug on you." Sydney hesitantly stopped struggling and stared at him sceptically. "I swear! I was smiling simply because it makes a change you giving me the plan, that's all. Although I have to admit that I think I do it better." He took a side glance at her and then prepared himself for the onslaught.  
  
Sydney stared at him hard and then hit him with it, her voice getting louder with every word. "Vaughn, I'm a woman in dire need of a bath, a venti sized Starbucks, and a threesome with Ben and Jerry. Do you really want to mess with me now?"   
  
He chuckled at her and held his hand up in defeat. "Ok, ok, I concede. I just love seeing you get all worked up. You can definitely handle me anytime you want."   
  
Sydney leaned carefully into him, laughing, ensuring that her full weight wasn't on his chest. "Anytime baby, anytime."   
  
As she closed her eyes she tried her hardest to convince herself that the two of them were snuggled up close on her couch without an inch of woodland in sight.   
  
"You can probably tell from that performance that I'm so not a bug person." She mumbled into his chest after a few moments peaceful silence.  
  
"Yeah well the crazy dance kind of gave it away." He replied, amusement evident in his voice.  
  
Sydney was about to defend herself when she felt Vaughn shiver hard against her. Snapping her head up to face him she edged back to see if he was all right.  
  
"Vaughn, what wrong? Are you cold?" She asked concerned.  
  
"A little bit." He shifted slightly on the log, trying to get himself into a better position. "I think we should get a fire going soon. The temperature is obviously going to drop further tonight."   
  
"That definitely sounds like a plan. I'll let it go this time though." Sydney was about to jump off his knee to start the fire when she suddenly had a thought.  
  
"Okay Boy Scout, not to come across all girlie but please tell me that you have had some experience of making a camp fire?"  
  
"Of course I can build a camp fire." Vaughn replied with a look that clearly said otherwise. "Wood, matches, kindle ...... where's the difficulty?" He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "It won't be a problem."  
  
"Really?" Sydney drawled, completely unconvinced. "Because I don't remember you showing me your badge for that."  
  
"Well that's because I don't have one for that." He leaned in close and whispered seductively in her ear. "The Boy Scouts don't give badges for everything you know."   
  
"Yes well I am still in denial here." She replied, stepping out if his embrace to face him. "I think I going to need to see some hard evidence." He gave her a look. "And not that kind of evidence." She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm going to get some wood, you stay here and rest for a while. I will be back soon. Don't forget that the water is in my backpack if you want it."  
  
"I don't need to rest." Vaughn protested, starting to get up. "I can help you."  
  
Sydney quickly turned around and placed her hands on his shoulders to push him back down. Once he was sitting comfortably back down on the log she lowered herself into a crouching position in front of him so she could stare into his face. She had to make her point clear.   
  
"Vaughn seriously. We have got a big day ahead of us tomorrow so you need to get as much rest as you can now. It won't take me long to get the wood, I mean we are in a forest right? Get some rest, I won't be long." Standing up, Sydney placed a light kiss on his forehead then started off towards the trees.  
  
Vaughn watched her retreating figure walk off until the trees blocked her from view. Once Sydney was out of sight he took the chance to inhale deeply and rub his side tenderly. As he sat there by himself a wave of helplessness hit him full force and he felt a hint of anger run through his veins. What use would he be if he couldn't even collect firewood? It was such a simple thing to do so why did he lack the energy for it?  
  
He slid himself down slowly off the log and used the wood to support his back and head. As he rubbed his eyes he tried hard to fight off the fatigue that was threatening to swamp him.   
  
Great, some help I'm going to be if I fall asleep before Syd gets back.   
  
Swiping his hand across his face he noticed that he was still sweating profusely.  
  
Why the hell am I still sweating? The temperature is hardly what I would call warm and we finished the hike about twenty minutes ago.   
  
Vaughn stared worryingly at the shimmer of moisture on his hand and tried to convince himself that it was nothing more than the result of overexertion. But what if he was wrong? 


	6. Chapter 6

Against All Odds  
  
Chapter 6  
  
It had taken them almost an hour.  
  
An hour.  
  
An hour to burn almost every one of his fingers, use every expletive known to man, and eventually get a fire going.  
  
*My God that's over half a hockey game......it's twice the time it takes me to get to work in the morning. It even beats the length of time it took me to try and decipher one of Will's drawings in our one and only Pictionary game, and wow was that long.  
  
When I think back to how easily I almost burned down Syd's house by knocking that damn candle over, how on earth could it have taken so long? Hell, we are CIA agents, we are professionals. *  
  
"They make it look so easy on TV." He heard Sydney mumble irritably, echoing his feelings entirely. "You get the wood, light the match, and whoosh.one adequately burning inferno to provide heat, light, and visual stimulation. But when we try, do we get that? Nooooo." She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Why did it take us so long to get it going? We lit the kindle, blew on it to get it going and then piled on the wood. Am I missing anything?"  
  
"Maybe you were blowing too hard at the start?" Vaughn suggested innocently, trying unsuccessfully to keep a straight face.  
  
Sydney clenched her jaw and pursed her lips together in mock anger as she turned to face him, hand on hips.  
  
"I didn't see you doing any better Mr I-only-need-one-match-to-light-this- ow-why-does-my-finger-hurt? And besides, my blowing too hard has never created a problem before." She smirked and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him. "From my experience most fires begin that way."  
  
"Touché." He grinned affectionately and took her hand so he could pull her down next to him on the ground. Leaning against the log he carefully placed his good arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently in to him. He was relieved for the chance to relax for a moment and as he closed his eyes he surrendered to the weariness that was attempting to consume him.  
  
As she leaned into his embrace Sydney took a quick glance at Vaughn's arm to see if the bandage needed changing. Vaughn had been favouring his other arm all afternoon and she once again wished she could do more to help him than wave a first aid box in front of him. She could practically see the exhaustion radiating from every part of him and as she gently stroked his cheek she was surprised for it to be cool underneath her touch. Sweat was visible on his face and she had assumed that he would be warm like herself from the physical activity. She quickly leaned forward and grabbed the blanket from her rucksack before placing the greater part gently around his body. Once she had ensured that he was completely covered, Sydney then snuggled under the blanket and resumed her position next to him, placing her hand in his and kissing it gently.  
  
"At least we got the fire going in the end. I didn't fancy sharing our one and only blanket with you." She punched him lightly on his arm. "You can be such a duvet hogger you know."  
  
"Ouch!" He exclaimed, pretending to be shocked. "You know, I should feel insulted at that comment but if I remember correctly it was me last week who ended up with the lovely black eye in the morning after I tried to claim the quilt off you."  
  
Sydney opened her mouth to argue but was quickly cut off.  
  
"And don't try to deny it. All I did was try and pry a little corner of the duvet out from around you so I wouldn't freeze to death when all of a sudden wham, an elbow in the eye. You can imagine the comments that circulated around the office that morning, especially from Eric." Vaughn lowered his voice for imitation and waved his index finger at her.  
  
"Mikey you have to remember, no means no"  
  
Vaughn sighed and rubbed his hand across his eyes in frustration. "God, I swear I wanted to punch him that day."  
  
Sydney chuckled at the memory. "He does have a way about him doesn't he? His sense of humour ranges from oh my God Eric stop you are killing me, to oh my God Eric stop I'm going to kill you. It's quite an interesting combination, especially the way he can jump from one to another in an instant."  
  
"Yep that's our Eric, the human enigma. You know I still haven't got him back for that little joke but considering our recent chain of events I think I can let it slide." He paused and unconsciously rubbed his neck in contemplation. "It's amazing the things that were so important a day ago but now seem so insignificant. Your life can change before your eyes in an instant and it makes you realise what is important." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently before leaning in and kissing her softly, hoping to convey without words just what exactly was important to him.  
  
Sydney returned the kiss deeply, ensuring that Vaughn knew that the feelings were mutual. As she rested her head on his shoulder she stared wistfully at the burning embers in front of her, contemplating what he had said. She had been thinking about that also, wondering if she would be able to see her father again or get the chance to be with her friends once more.  
  
"I know what you mean. When we were hiking earlier I kept thinking about this stupid fight Will and I had this morning. I was mad at him for using the last of the milk and putting the empty container back in the fridge. Sure it's annoying but it's not as though it's life or death or anything." Sydney shook her head, cursing herself for such pettiness. "What if I never see him again? The last thing I said to him was..and when I say said I mean yelled like a wild women.. it doesn't take an expert in fridge mechanics to know that a fridge does not magically refill the milk container once it's empty, so start using the grey matter Will, get off your ass, and put the container in the bin. What a great memory he will have of me."  
  
Vaughn chuckled, imagining the scene. "Well it's not that bad Syd, and I'm sure Will doesn't hold it against you or anything."  
  
"Did I mention that afterwards I threw the milk container at him?" At Vaughn's surprised shake of the head Sydney sighed in dismay. "Ok that makes me a bad person doesn't it?" She quickly buried her head into his shoulder in shame.  
  
Vaughn laughed at her concern. "Syd, it doesn't make a you a bad person, it just means that you need to learn that violence towards friends is only acceptable in the most exceptional of circumstances. And that they only occur when best friends get you exceedingly drunk, lock you outside your own apartment in the pouring rain, and then refuse to let you back in until you sing all the words to It's Rainin' Men. Believe me only that justifies violence."  
  
Sydney raised her head and stared at Vaughn in shock for a moment before struggling hard not to laugh at the situation. But seeing the displeased look on Vaughn's face, she just couldn't hold it in any longer and a flood of mild hysteria came rushing out of her.  
  
"It's not funny." Vaughn demanded. "For the next month every time my neighbour saw me she asked how the weather was."  
  
"Oh Vaughn stop.my sides..pain." Sydney spluttered out trying to calm herself down. Quickly sitting up, she grabbed at her sides as if in agony, unknowingly elbowing Vaughn hard in the side.  
  
The pain etched on Vaughn's face brought Sydney shooting back to reality and there was sudden silence between them as she realised what had happened.  
  
"Oh my God I'm so sorry Vaughn, are you ok?" Sydney quickly bent down and with shaking hands started to undo his shirt when he suddenly grabbed her hands and stopped her.  
  
"Syd it's ok, it just winded me that's all." Vaughn took a deep breath and quickly rubbed his side, trying to ease the pain shooting down his chest before lying gingerly back down against the log.  
  
"Are you sure?" Sydney asked, unconvinced.  
  
"I'm sure. You just gotta watch that elbow though, ok?"  
  
As he grinned up at her Sydney tried her best to reciprocate but all she could manage was the briefest of smiles before the concern quickly returned to her face. They had a long day ahead of them tomorrow and she didn't want to add to his injuries.  
  
"Syd, stop staring at me like I'm going to break at any moment and come back next to me under the blanket."  
  
Sydney decided to comply for now but she knew she was definitely going to have a look at his chest later on. She slowly bent down and slid along him but was careful not to press on him too hard.  
  
The two agents lay there for a while in peaceful silence, both lost in quiet contemplation. As Vaughn kept his gaze on the bright flames in front of him, Sydney raised her gaze to the sky and took in the sight before her.  
  
"I can't believe how beautiful the stars are. It has been such a long time since I have actually taken the time to just sit and look." Sydney paused in deliberation then shook her head. "Ok I take that back. It's been so long since I have had the time to just sit and look. I suppose living where we do doesn't help. I don't think I have ever seen a night sky so clear and visible in LA. It takes my breath away just looking at them."  
  
"I know. When I get chance to visit my family in France, it always surprises me how different life is in the country. When I was a kid my grandfather and I used to sit outside at night and he would teach me about the night sky, where the constellations were, and the history of them. I loved just sitting there with him in such beautiful surroundings, listening to him talk."  
  
"I don't know much really about the night sky but I always liked how Daniel Day Lewis described it in "Last of the Mohicans. Have you ever seen the movie?" Vaughn shook his head. "God Francie and I must have seen that movie a thousand times in college, we ended up knowing all the lines off by heart." She chuckled at the memory.  
  
"If.. she quickly corrected herself. "..when we get back to LA, you are going to have to watch it. There's this one scene where Daniel Day Lewis is telling Madeleine Stowe about his tribe's beliefs on the creation of the stars." She returned her gaze to the sky as she recited the lines. "It was something like..at the birth of the sun and of his brother the moon their mother died. So the sun gave to the earth her body from which was to spring all life. And he drew from her chest the stars, stars he threw into the night sky to remind him of her soul..I think I liked it because as a kid I used to believe that every time a person died a new star was created. So when my mother died I used to spend hours gazing up at the night sky, trying to find one star that was shining just a little brighter." Sydney lowered her head and her voice became a whisper as the emotions started to build up inside of her. "Shining just for me. I read once that people used to use the stars to find their way so naturally I believed that if I could find my mother's she would somehow convey to me what my path was. Stupid I know. I mean look at me now. I followed my mum's path straight into the world of international espionage."  
  
"Hey, that's not stupid at all." Vaughn shifted slightly to face her and cupped her chin, lifting it so they were eye to eye. "Syd look at me. My father used to tell me that to succeed we need only to pick our star and follow it. And you did pick one Syd, an amazing one; you chose to become a teacher. Now sure, you may think you chose that career only because of your mother, but even after you found out the truth about her you have still held on to that dream, she hasn't taken it away from you meaning that it is your star, your dream you are following, not hers."  
  
Sydney chucked bitterly. "So how can you explain SD-6? That's hardly a stepping stone to a career in education."  
  
"Well not to overdo the symbolic overtones but no path is straight. Over the past two years Syd I have seen this part of you that Sloane hadn't been able to touch. It's right here." He placed his hand lightly on her chest. "And it is brimming with integrity, decency and kindness. And when you step in front of that class it is going to reach out and touch every one of them kids. What you have experienced in life has strengthened that part of you. It has tested it and challenged it and just like a muscle it has only gotten stronger as a result. Nothing can take that away from you and nothing can taint it. If anything it has reaffirmed your footing on that path.  
  
You are an exceptional woman Syd, you are going to make a wonderful teacher. I know you wish you never made that phone call Syd but look at what you have accomplished by making it. You played an enormous part in the destruction of a despicable covert organisation and have helped so many people in the process. I am grateful every day that you chose that star and that path because my life is so much the better for it. Don't ever regret it."  
  
Sydney smiled, teary eyed at him, amazed at the variety of emotions that were running through her. God how she loved this man. Why was it that he always knew what to say to make her feel better? She was the fortunate one having him in her life.  
  
"Thank you Vaughn." She whispered, placing a light kiss on his lips before leaning into his embrace.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For reminding me that I no longer need to look to the sky for my path, I only need to look at you and I find it." 


End file.
